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MILWAUKEE—The infuriating inconsistencies of early-season offensive basketball are hard to stomach but easy to explain.

Conditioning, familiarity and the speed of the game can all add up to botched plays, bobbled passes, missed shots and groans.

But there is the other end, where the difference between success and failure can be made, where work and attention to detail trumps all and the Raptors discovered that first-hand here Saturday night.

Rudy Gay had a career-high rebounding night, the Raptors threw a blanket over a hot shooter in the final six minutes and Toronto pulled away for a 97-90 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks thanks to one simple fact: they worked hard.

“Shooting 39 per cent, it definitely wasn’t our offence,” coach Dwane Casey said after the Raptors moved to 2-1 and beat the Bucks for the first time in 11 games. “We had to make sure to keep the tempo up and you do it with your defence. I thought our focus was good — they still shot 44 per cent, 35 per cent from three — but we made them earn every bit of that and that’s the way we have to play.

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“I expect for it to be ragged early due to different combinations, different lineups, our starters getting their sea legs but defensively is where we can’t have lapses.”

It was Gay, who fully confessed to being nowhere good enough in a Friday loss in Atlanta, who was more redemptive than anyone.

He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, just 4-for-18 from the floor, but he did finish with 18 points and, most importantly, a career-best 15 rebounds.

He had a couple offensive rebounds that helped lead to 21 second-chance points for Toronto and he got two big boards in traffic in the final couple of minutes that preserved the victory.

“I can’t remember the last time I knocked down a shot personally, but as far as the team, we were moving the ball around and we defended our asses off,” said Gay. “We didn’t let them breathe. Defence won this game and when you can’t knock down shots, that’s what you have to do. You have to do the other things.

“I’m just trying not to be one-dimensional. (On Friday) my shot wasn’t falling. Tonight my shot wasn’t falling. I just wanted to make an effort on defence and on the glass. Try to make myself a part of the game because Friday I didn’t feel like I was.”

DeMar DeRozan added 17 points that included four in the final two minutes to seal the win and also got to the free-throw line.

The Raptors had averaged just 15 assists per game in their first two games; they had 19 on 31 made baskets Saturday.

“DeMar and Rudy had . . . 18 free throws and that was huge, versus last night when we had 51 paint drives and we had eight free throws,” said Casey.

“Tonight it was different, they were going in and creating contact, initiating the contact and being physical first. I think that’s the way they have to go in there. Officials won’t reward you if you go in avoiding contact.”

Landry Fields was instrumental in Toronto’s late-game defensive dominance, coming in with about six minutes to go and shutting down Milwaukee’s O.J. Mayo.

“I love Terrence (Ross) to death but as soon as he goes in he loses Mayo for two open threes,” said Casey. “As an experienced player, we had to put Landry on him and he didn’t score after that.”

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